


A Fresh Start

by orphan_account



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 13:53:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7804369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tai finds herself traveling to Arendelle in search of help for her uncontrolled powers. To her surprise, Elsa is the one to help her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Fresh Start

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sweetcarolanne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetcarolanne/gifts).



The day was warm when Tai arrived in Arendelle. She loved summer and wanted to take a few moments to bask in the sunlight.

Tai’s moment was broken when someone bumped against her shoulder in an attempt to get past. She jerked, tiny flames forming near the ends of her fingers. They were quickly snuffed out and no one so much as looked over in her direction.

If they had, Tai would know it. There would be widespread panic and cries to get the demon out of their city and away from their children. Reactions like that were the reason Tai had left her tiny village in the first place. 

She had traveled a long way to get to Arendelle, with the intention of seeking help from Queen Elsa, who was a well known magic user. Stories, of how Elsa had nearly put Arendelle in an eternal winter, only to turn it all around and prove herself to be a more than capable queen, had reached even Tai’s distant village.

Tai didn’t expect the Queen to grant her an audience; she was nothing more than an insignificant little speck in Elsa’s world, just a peasant who had migrated from her home in search of something better.

Still, Tai clung to a small ray of hope that Elsa would be able to help her. It was the only thing Tai had left.

During her journey here, Tai had tried to think of a way she could get an audience with Elsa but nothing came to mind. Without money, she couldn’t buy her way, nor could Tai pretend to be royalty or someone of noble birth. Her clothes told a tale of hardship, though the burns had more to do with Tai’s uncontrollable powers.

Before she could do anything else, Tai needed to find an inn. Dwelling on the improbability of getting an audience with Queen Elsa wouldn’t help with food or shelter. Luckily, Tai soon stumbled upon a relatively cheap inn at the end of the street. She checked in with little trouble, even with her limited coin, and felt safe in the small, sparsely decorated room. 

Tai couldn’t hurt anyone in here, save for possibly setting the building on fire in a moment of panic and burning everyone inside to death, and if they didn’t all burn to death, there was always smoke inhalation. Those thoughts made Tai’s anxiety rise, but it was her own fault.

“Guess you can’t escape it no matter how far you run,” Tai muttered bitterly to herself.

She wished it was the evening because then she could try to sleep some and pretend she was visiting Arendelle for a simple vacation. Swallowing, Tai willed herself to leave the room and seek out food. Trying to plan a way to obtain an audience with the Queen couldn’t be done on an empty stomach.

Near the inn, Tai discovered a shop, one selling mostly sandwiches, which was enough to satisfy her. Though the sandwiches were hardly fancy, not that Tai knew much about fancy food, she didn’t care what she ate. As long as it was food, she would eat it because that was what you did when you were always going hungry.

Tai ordered a sandwich and sat down at one of the tables outside. She took a bite but didn’t get to savor the taste because a loud crash, followed by a series of shouts, sent Tai into a panic.

Fire formed at her fingertips; it was stronger than the flames Tai had made before, because of the panic seizing her chest. It all reminded her of being back in the village and having people chase her off in fear of the destruction she might bring.

The burst of fire thankfully didn’t hit anyone; it flew towards the ocean, quickly fizzling out. People stopped, stared, and began to point. Tai wanted to run, but she froze. When Tai finally snapped back to full awareness, she stood up to bolt, but a hand on her shoulder forced Tai to stop.

“Please don’t run. You don’t need to be scared,” said a woman’s voice.

“And keep it easy on the fireballs. I’d like to keep my hair…” This one sounded like a man.

“Kristoff!”

There was a distinct animal sound followed by a grumble from the male voice.

“Fine, Sven!” he muttered. “Hey, I’m sorry about that. Fire is just…”

Tai didn’t quite know why she lowered her guard, but the voices and banter seemed friendly, that apparent friendliness causing Tai to slowly turn around. “You don’t want to be burnt to death. Understandable. Just so you know, I don’t want to set anyone on fire, either.”

“You have trouble controlling your power, right? So did my sister. She hurt people but didn’t mean to. Elsa was just scared like you.”

“Sister?” Tai’s eyes widened. “You’re Princess Anna?”

Somehow, this chance meeting led to Tai having a real audience with Queen Elsa. Tai had, of course, intended to seek a meeting with Queen Elsa, but her seemingly impossible desire going from wish to reality was something else altogether. Merely being in the Queen’s presence intimidated Tai, without Elsa even saying or doing anything.

Elsa being incredibly beautiful didn’t help, either. Tai tried her best not to let Elsa’s beauty make her act like a blushing maiden or just completely empty-headed, but Tai had always had a weakness for pretty girls. Naturally, Queen Elsa wouldn’t be an exception, though that would have made things so much easier.

Tai blamed her bumbling behavior on those big, blue eyes, and Elsa’s magic. Being sensitive to magic, Tai could sense it running through Elsa’s veins, and it was hypnotizing, sending Tai into a daze right in front of the Queen of Arendelle.

The Queen clearing her throat brought Tai back to reality. 

“I never intended to burn anyone or start a fire, Your Highness.” Tai didn’t know what to expect. Half-consciously, Tai tugged at the ends of her thick braid, a nervous habit of hers.

The attire Tai wore wasn’t exactly suitable for meeting with a queen; tunic and pants with holes sewn over with patches didn’t present much of a good image, but Tai hoped Elsa didn’t think badly of her despite her poor dress.

“Please follow me into my chambers. I want to speak with you privately,” Elsa said.

The anticipation made Tai’s nerves stand on edge. Once she and the Queen were in private, Elsa motioned for Tai to take a seat, and Tai graciously accepted the offer because she felt as if her legs might give out at any second.

“Where are you from?”

“Do my accent and clothes reveal my immigrant status so readily?” Tai said. She winced when she realized that she’d made the joke in the presence of a distinguished queen.

Elsa stifled a laugh which helped Tai relax. “It does, but I wouldn't say as much because that wouldn’t have been very polite.”

“I'm surprised you agreed to meet with me, Your Highness. I came to Arendelle to meet with you, but I never imagined it to happen quite like this, or so quickly. Or at all.”

“I want to help,” Elsa said. “Nearly two years ago, I was in your shoes. I know what it's like to be afraid of what you might capable of.” 

“So you'll help me control it?”

“I'll help you understand your powers and ultimately learn not to be afraid of them.”

Tai wanted to believe Elsa, but she remained unconvinced. The next day, they had their first lesson, and as the lesson went on, Tai grew more and more certain it wouldn't help.

“Just let it go,” Elsa said.

“If I ‘just let it go’ as you say, I could kill not only yourself and myself, Your Highness, but also the entire kingdom.” Tai’s voice filled with panic; she couldn’t even try to hide the fear of using her powers. The mere prospect of using them broke down the facade Tai had always kept up until the panic overwhelmed her. 

“Thinking you will bring harm to those around you is not going to help; the thing is to stay calm and have confidence in yourself.”

A bitter laugh bubbled out of Tai’s throat. “With all due respect, Your Highness, it takes more than that.”

Elsa smiled. “It takes training and practice, which I will give you. I know what it’s like to be alone, fearing one wrong move will destroy those around you. It’s like being in a dark room and thinking you deserve it when you can’t find the candle everybody refuses to show you.”

“I don't think I can do this,” Tai said. 

“At least try. We'll start small, with nothing too hard. The first thing we need to do is to make you feel relaxed and comfortable, with this and with me.”

Tai wanted to refuse, but when she’d first stumbled into Arendelle, Elsa had taken Tai under her wing. If Tai turned away such an offer, it would make her appear ungrateful, so she took a deep breath and said, “Let's start, then.”

“Remember what to do?”

“Let it go.”

Tai only hoped she could remember that. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on how it was just her, Elsa, and the mountains. Elsa had taken her far enough out to where Tai couldn’t even think of hurting another human being, or any other living creature.

“Go ahead, Tai. Let-”

“Yes, I know, Your Highness. Let it go.”

She did, indeed, let it go: a large burst of fire flew from Tai’s hands towards the mountains, blazing into the distance until it collided with a large pile of snow. Tai watched as the flames fizzled out, and she laughed as they disappeared so quickly and so harmlessly. Fire was a destructive force, but in this moment, it wasn’t.

“How do you feel?”

“I’m not sure, Your Highness,” Tai said. “I’m not as scared as I was before. It’s the first time I’ve felt this way about my powers. Honestly, I didn’t think it was possible.”

Elsa smiled again. “Well, this is only lesson number one, Tai.”

That turned out to be the first of many lessons. As the months passed on, Tai learned to become more and more comfortable with her powers. Elsa taught her not to be afraid. Tai did not, however, work up the nerve to confront her growing feelings for Elsa. The attraction had been there from the beginning and hadn’t conveniently gone away.

“I still find it hard to believe you were like me a few years ago, Your Highness,” Tai said after one of their lessons. She grasped her powers much better than she had in the past. It was an amazing transformation in just a few months.

“I truly was and, Tai, you can call me Elsa.”

Tai felt her cheeks flush. “Do you mean just in private or all the time?”

“... all the time,” Elsa said, almost as if she didn’t expect Tai to ask that.

Before Elsa could say or do anything else, Tai felt a sudden burst of courage and leaned over to kiss Elsa.Tai was afraid her words had scared Elsa off, and she wanted to make her feelings known. It was best to do this now so Elsa knew where Tai stood.

“I like that idea,” Tai admitted. “Do you like the idea of us?”

“Us?”

“Yes, us.”

“I absolutely love the idea of it.”

Tai grinned. “I won’t have to worry about setting you on fire in a moment of passion, or worry about you freezing me. Our powers will nullify one another.”

When Elsa laughed and kissed her, Tai’s heart started to flutter. Finally, she had found someone who understood her sense of humor, her powers, and who understood Tai herself.


End file.
